Tregastel travel guide

Visit Tregastel (Brittany, France)

Tregastel is a small seaside village on the scenic Coast of Granite Rose of northern Brittany. There are two parts to Tregastel which are a couple of kilometres apart: the historic village to the east and the coastal resort of Trégastel Plage to the west.

Explore Tregastel

We realise you have come here for the beach but we suggest you spare a moment to explore Tregastel village while you are here! The village has some lovely architecture and a pleasant beach, the Quay St Ann. On the shore be sure to take a look at the tidal mill, an eco-friendly mill dating from the early 18th century.

A notable building in the village is a small chapel called the Chapel of Sainte-Anne-des-Rochers which inside has a wooden ceiling resembling an upturned boat - very fitting for a seaside church. The main church in Tregastel, the Church of Saint-Anne, is also interesting and in part dates from the 12th century although numerous additions have been made later including a 17th century ossuary to store bones of skeletons when space ran out in the cemetery.

Tregastel beach and coast

It is for the natural scenery that visitors are attracted to Tregastel - there are several beaches close to hand, and the contrast between the pink granite boulders and islets, the shimmering blue of the sea and the yellow of the beach combine to create a very lovely setting.

The main beach is just slightly up the coast and makes Tregastel particularly worth a visit. Called Tregastel Plage it is one of the loveliest in the area with great outcrops of the pink granite rocks emerging from the water and the beach is long and sandy. Many of the rock formations have been given names such as 'Pile of Crepes', 'The Witch' and 'The Artist Palette' for reasons which will be very obvious when you see them...

The principal beaches are called Plage de Grève-Blanche (the main beach) and Plage du Coz-Pors. Between the two beaches there is a footpath that climbs a raised headland and is probably the best place for a lovely view across the beach and sea.

The buildings behind the beach are not the most lovely we have ever seen but the coast and beach are so picturesque that we hardly noticed, and more recent buildings such as the entrance to the aquarium are extremely well integrated into the environment, being half concealed beneath giant rocks. Most restaurants are closer to the Plage du Coz-Pors.

The aquarium is only a few metres from the Plage du Coz-Pors and you can see examples of many of the species of sea-life - includins fish, lobsters, shellfish and anemones - that are found in the sea in the region around Tregastel. The aquarium is closed November to January and only open in the afternoon during February, March and October.

The coast continues to the Plage Ile Renote, which is quieter but still very scenic - especially the much photographed house on the promontory - then at the end of the promontory the Plage Ti Al Lia is small and south-facing and dominated by large boulders of pink granite which make it very attractive.

A coastal walk - the Sentier des Douaniers - passes by Tregastel Plage and is an excellent walk to see more of the lovely pink granite coast, as well as the countryside.

More things to do close to Tregastel

You have more chances to appreciate the natural environment if you take one of the organised boat trips around the group of islands just off the coast called the 'archipelago of seven islands' - bring your binoculars, this is the largest bird sanctuary in France.

History enthusiasts will want to travel a few kilometres south from Trégastel-Plage to Kergentuil and the Ile Grande to see the prehistoric gallery grave and dolmen.

For more ideas see the guide to the Coast of Granite Rose.

See more seaside resorts in France. You can find more travel ideas in the Cotes-d'Armor guide and the Brittany guide.